Reinforced carton



Nov. 6, 1962 J. J. MASON REINFORCED CARTON Filed Jan. 26. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JAMES J. MASON A'IIORNEY Nov. 6, 1962 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 J. J. MASON REINFORCED CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAMES J. MASON WABQIR ATTORNEY Npv. 6, 1962 J. J. MASON 3,062,426

REINFORCED CARTON Filed Jan. 26. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I47 I55 I64 I65 I48 I? INVENTOR. JAMES J. MASON FIG. I4 w A T TORNE Y Nov. 6, 1962 J. J. MASON REINFORCED CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. JAMES J.MASON ATTORNEY 3,062,426 REINFORCED CARTON James J. Mason, Markham, BL, assignor to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 788,902 11 Claims. (Cl. 229 -14) This invention relates to a carton structure which is particularly suitable as a shipping container for high density hardware products.

There has been a long standing need in the carton art for a one piece construction which may be made of cardboard, paste board and the like, and which can resist bursting or splitting at the corners under impact loads, as for example, heavy loads comprising individual small articles such as nuts, bolts, screws, washers and the like. Heretofore, cartons for such articles develop fractures during use which become quickly enlarged by communicated force, resulting in loss of the contents. And while proposed cartons have proved somewhat adequate, they are generally objectionable because of undesirable bulk, added weight, or high cost of manufacture.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a one piece blank from which can be assembled, a carton having multiple walls and a plurality of thicknesses at the end closures to provide reinforcement and prohibit bursting or splitting under normal shipping stresses.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a carton construction which is especially durable at the corners formed, end closure flaps and walls so that these portions will not develop splits and fractures even if the carton, when filled to capacity, should be dropped on its edges. In accordance with this invention, this objective is achieved by providing certain panel thicknesses in contiguous reinforcing relation.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a novel carton structure whereby one or both of the end closures thereof may be self locking to substantially obviate possibility of accidental opening of the carton while it is in transit or in storage.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a single blank which can be assembled by ordinary manufacturing folding operations into a carton having the foregoing structural characteristics and which will consist essentially of integral members joined rigidly together to provide the necessary strength where hitherto failures in cartons of the prior art most likely occur.

Other objects and features of the'invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a plan view of the blank of a carton embodying the principles of the invention, which blank may be readily assembled by performing suitable bending operations thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the completed carton which is assembled from the blank shown in FIG- URE l;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 illustratively represent the progressive steps of assemblying the walls of the carton;

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of the progressive steps for assembling the bottom closure of the carton;

FIGURE 9 is an isometric view of the inside bottom portion of the carton with a portion broken away showing how the final locking step is performed in assembling the bottom portion of the carton;

FIGURE 10 is an isometric view of the top of the carton progressively showing how the flaps are folded to form the top closures for the assembled container;

FIGURES 11 and 12. are fragmentary views of modified ited States Patent 2 one piece blanks, the bottom portions of which may be the same as the bottom portions in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 13 illustrates a plan view of a one piece blank which may be assembled into a carton having additional reinforcing layers at the end closures thereof to provide another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of the finished carton assembled from the blank of FIGURE 13 FIGURES 15 and 16 are isometric views showing progressively how the reinforcing member of FIGURE 13 is first folded into position with the walls of the container thereafter being brought together;

FIGURES 17 and 18 show progressively the folding steps in forming the flaps to the top closures of the carton, the first position being shown in FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 19 is a perspective view showing how the bottom closure of the carton is formed by means of flaps on the liner and outer container walls respectively; and

FIGURE 20 is a sectional view of the completed box taken on line 202tl of FIGURE 14.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES l-l 0, there is shown a blank of a carton designated generally by reference numeral which includes four panels 26, 27, 28 and 29 for forming the four outer walls of the carton. Score lines 30, 31 and 3-2 are provided at the adjacent intersecting longitudinal edges of the panels 26 to 2% respectively as can be seen in the plan view of the blank 25 (FIGURE 1), the panels being formed in a row and in side-by-side relation.

At the top edges of panels 26 and 28 are two flaps 36 and 38 with score lines 39 and 44 on which the flaps 36 and 33 can be folded once the flap is doubled over on its medial score line 45.

A pair of reinforcing panels 47 and 48 are attached to panels 26 and 28 through the flap sections 36 and 38 and consist of panel sections 50, 51, 52 and 53 with the respective panels of each pair being hingedly connected together by bisecting score lines 55 and 56.

Two closure flaps 58 and 59 are hingedly connected with panels 27 and 29 through fold lines 61 and 62 but are separated from the adjacent flap sections 36 and 38.

At the free end 63 of the panel 29 is foldable attachment flap 65 which wraps over the opposite free end 64 of the panel 26 and is secured thereto as by stapling to hold the carton together once it is assembled.

At the lower edge of the blank 26 are two pairs of split flaps 70 and 71 hingedly connected at score lines 73 and 74 with panels 27 and 29 respectively. The gap provided between the split flaps is sufficient to admit edges of the other closure flaps 76 and 77 to form a self-locking bottom closure in the assembly in the carton. Closure flaps 76 and 77 each have score lines 78 permitting bending thereon and closure flaps 76 and 77 are hingedly connected to panels 26 and 28 through fold lines 79 and 80.

To assemble this carton, the flaps 36 and 38 are doubled over at their fold lines (FIGURES l, 3 and 4) so that reinforcing panels and 51 will overlie wall panels 26 and 27; and, reinforcing panels 52 and 53 will overlie Wall panels 28 and 29. After the reinforcing panels 56, 51, S2 and 53 are contiguous with the inner surface of the Wall panels 26, 27, 28 and 29, the fold lines and 56 of the reinforcing panels are in registry with the fold lines 30 and 32 of the wall panels, the wall panels are next bent at the score lines 30, 31 and 32 to bring the connecting fiap at the free end of the blank against the other free end 64 of the blank 25 where it is stapled thereto. The four wall panels 26, 27, 23 and 2? thus forrn an intermediate carton structure of rectangular cross section enclosing the reinforcing panels 50, 51, 52 and 53.

The bottom closure of the container is next formed (FIGURES 6-9) by first bending the split flaps in- Wardly over the open end of the carton and then doubling over the split flaps 71 so that they lie one over the other (FIGURES 6 and 7). The closure flap 77 is then bent at the score line 78 and folded inwardly at hinge 81) so that the free end of the flap 77 will pass through the slits between doubled over flaps and 71. The same operation is then performed for flap 76, namely, the flap is first bent transversely at score line 78 and then swung inwardly on hinge score line 79 so that the free end of the hinge 76 is inserted through the slots provided between flaps 70 and 71. The portions of flaps 76 and 77 which are passed through the slots (FIGURE 9) are then bent backwardly on themselves to lie against the bottom of the carton in contiguous locking relation with the split flaps 76 which were first folded inwardly.

At the top of the carton is a closure which is formed by the doubled over flap sections 36 and 38 which are caused to bend inwardly on their hinge connections with the reinforcing panels 50 and 52 and wall panels 26 and 28 respectively. Thus, doubled over flap section 36 is turned inwardly on hinge score lines 39 and 40, doubled over flap section 38 is turned inwardly on hinge score lines 39 and 40, and the flaps 58 and 59 are next folded over the end of the carton and sealed to complete the carton assembly.

It will be noted that the entire carton and end closures are assembled from a single blank and the end closures have multiple layers which provide the necessary strength so that the carton can withstand communicating force loads without bursting or splitting.

Referring to modified blanks as shown in FIGURES 11 and 12, the connecting flap section 38 may be an integral portion of wall panel 29 instead of wall panel 28, with other panel structural details remaining the same. With this modification, the top closure is then provided with adjacent doubled over flaps 36 and 38. The bottom portion of the panel in FIGURE 11 is the same as that of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the blank of FIGURE 12 in comparison with the blank illustrated in FIGURE 1, the doubled over flap 36 may connect reinforcing panel 51 and wall panel 27, the assembly procedure being the same, viz. doubling over the flaps 36, 38 and bending the wall panels at their fold lines 30, 31 and 32 to form the Walls of the carton.

As in the panel of FIGURE 11, the doubled over flaps 36, 38 are on adjacent wall panels instead of opposite wall panels when the carton is fully assembled.

Referring next to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 13-20 inclusive, the panel (FIGURE 13) comprises four wall panel sections 126, 127, 128 and 129 separated v at their adjacent edges by longitudinal score lines 130, 131 and 132. Integrally connected with panels 126 and 128 are two closure flap sections 136 and 138 with score lines across the width thereof. 138 have integral reinforcing panels 147 and 148, which reinforcing panels are separated from one another as shown in FIGURE 13. Panel section 147 consists of reinforcing panels 156 and 151 with a score line there- 'between, and reinforcing panel 148 integrally constructed with flap 138 has two reinforcing panels 152 and 153 with a score line 156 providing for hinge movement therebetween.

Wall panels 127, 129 have at their upper edges two closure flaps 158 and 159 with score lines 161 and 162 at their intersections with the wall panels 127 and 129. At the upper edges (FIGURE 13) of each of the reinforcing panels 151, 152, and 153 are formed bendable segments 164, 165 and 166 to reinforce the end closure for the carton. At the lower edges of the liner panels 151 and 153 are flap sections 167 and 168 which are laterally projected from flap sections 136 and 138. Perpendicular fold lines 170 and 171 are constructed at their intersections with the flap sections 136, 138 and reinforcing panels 151, 153 respectively. Diagonal fold lines 173 and 175 Flap sections 136 and are further included for a purpose which will become clear from a consideration of the assembly procedure to be described. Both the fold lines (score lines) 145 and 173 may contain slits to facilitate the bending operations to be performed at these locations.

At the free end of the blank 125 is a bendable connecting flap 181 which is wrapped over the other free end 182 of the blank when the carton is assembled. At the lower edge of the wall panels 126, 127, 128, 129 (FIGURE 13) are the portions which will also form an end closure for the carton.

Projecting from the wall panel 128 is a fiap hingedly connected therewith through score line 191 and directly adjacent with the flap 190 are two other flaps 192 and 193 which are integral with both panel flap 190 and with wall panels 127 and 129 respectively. At the intersection between flaps 192, 193 with flap 190 and with panels 127, 129 are score lines 195, 196 and 197, 198. Diagonal score lines 200 and 282 intersect the perpendicular fold lines 195, 196 and 197, 198.

To complete the end closure, is a lid flap 210 projecting from wall panel 126 and having a score line 212 hingedly joining the lid with the wall panel 126. A tongue 214, which is bendable on line 215 also forms a part of the lid panel 218.

To assemble the carton, the flap sections 136, 138 are first doubled over to bring the reinforcing panels 159, 151 into overlying relation with wall panels 126, 127 respectively. The reinforcing panels 150, 151 are of approximately the same dimension as wall panels 126, 127 to substantially cover the same. The fold line 155 is then brought into registry with the fold line 130 between the wall panels 128 and 129 by folding closure panel 138 on fold line 145 with the fold line 156 being brought in registry with fold line 132. The wall panels are then bent at their folds lines 131), 131 and 132 to bring the free ends 180, 182 together for securement by means of connecting flap 181.

The intermediate carton construction is upright as viewed in FIGURES 16, 17 and 18, and the procedure for closing the top of the carton will next be described.

The closure panels 192, 193 are biased inwardly, by a concurrent bending at the diagonal fold lines 200, 202 and fold lines 196, 198. As evident from a comparison of FIGURES 17 and 18, the flaps 192 and 193 become doubled over and the closure flap 190 swings inwardly on its fold line 191 where it is hinged to the wall panel 128. When the flap 190 is fully closed, the lid 210 is bent downwardly on its hinge line 212 with wall panel 126 and the tongue 214 inserted within the slit 250. As can be seen in FIGURE 17, the tabs 164, 165 and 166 are bent down prior to closing the top of the carton to provide added protection.

The carton is then inverted and the bottom closure is formed by biasing flaps 167 and 168 inwardly by bending thereof at diagonal fold lines 173 and hinge fold lines 171 respectively (FIGURE 19). As the flaps 167, 168 move inwardly, the interconnected flaps 136 and 138 are also folded inwardly, the tips of flaps 167 and 168 being bendable on diagonal score lines 175 to permit such folding. After the flaps 136, 138 are swung to a fully closed position on their hinge score lines with wall panels 126 and 128, the two flaps 158 and 159 are then folded inwardly and secured adhesively or however else desired.

It will be evident from a consideration of FIGURE 19, that a plurality of layers of board are provided at the end closures, many more than at the side walls. The reason for this is that the greatest areas of stress imposed on the carton are at the corners thereof where greatest burst loads from the communicated impacts of high density products are encountered.

Various modifications to facilitate cartage of the cartons of this invention when loaded with high density products, are contemplated. For example, carrying handles 225 may be provided by means of incomplete cutaways in the outer 5. wall panels 27, 29 (127, 129) as shown in FIGURES 1 and 13.

It has been found that under actual service conditions the cartons of this invention are especially suitable for shipping high density products such as 'bolts, screws, washers, etc. and contain these materials without developing fractures or flaws by providing the areas of greatest stress with structural stability capable of withstanding coma municated impact forces.

While certain example embodiments of the invention have been selected for purpose of illustration of this invention, it will be understood that these are in no Way restrictive of the invention and that numerous modifications and revisions of the invention may be made without departing from the teaching hereof. Such additional modifications and revisions as incorporated with herein dis-closed principles are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A one piece blank adapted to form a carton having a plurality of reinforced layers at the ends thereof, comprising a row of side-by-side wall panels separated at the adjacent edges thereof by folding lines, a bendable connecting flap at the free end of said blank along the edge of one of said panels parallel with said folding lines, a plurality of liner panels arranged in a row in side-'by-side relation along one edge of said wall panels, said row of liner panels extending parallel to said row of wall panels and separated into two pairs of hingedly connected liner panels of substantially the same proportions as said wall panels, two end closure flaps projecting parallel with said foldlines from the edges of two of said wall panels and integrally joined with said pairs of liner panels, each of said closure flaps including a medial fold line for doubling over said closure flaps to thereby bring said liner panels in contiguous relation with said wall panels and further having a fold line at the intersections with said wall and liner panels, a second closure flap section aligned with each of said two end closure flaps and separated therefrom by fold lines, a diagonal fold line on each of said second closure flaps to provide for concurrent folding of said adjoining closure flaps one over the other, each of said second closure flaps being foldably connected to one of its adjacent wall and liner panels.

2. A one piece blank adapted for assembly into a carton having a plurality of reinforcing layers at the end closures thereof, and comprising a plurality of wall panels arranged in a row in sideby-side relation and having fold lines at the intersecting adjacent edges thereof, a row of separated pairs of liner panels arranged in side-byside relation and collinearly with said wall panels in the direction of said fold lines, said liner panels having fold line adapted to register with the fold lines of said wall panels, a connecting flap section joining each of said pairs of liner panels and said wall panels at the edges of said wall panels perpendicular to the fold lines of said Wall panels, fold lines at the junctions between said connecting flap sections and said pairs of liner panels and said Wall panels, a medial fold line in each of said connecting flaps for doubling over of said connecting flaps and thereby overlaying said liner panels and said wall panels, a flap segment projecting laterally from each of said connecting flaps and having fold lines at the perpendicular sides thereof adjoining said connecting flaps and adjacent liner panel and a diagonal fold line in each flap segment providing for concurrent inward folding of said connecting flaps and adjoining flap segments to form the end closure of said carton, each flap segment being connected at a fold line to an end of one of said panels.

3. The blank structure of claim 2 including a flap section projecting from alternate wall panels in the direction of said fold lines forming the intersecting edges of said wall panels, two side flaps projecting integrally from the remaining of said wall panels and having perpendicular fold lines adjoining said remaining wall panels and said intermediate flap section therebetween, a diagonal fold line providing concurrent folding of said side flaps and intermediate flap section, and a foldable tab on one of said flap sections adapted to fit within a slot provided in said intermediate flap section when said carton is assembled.

4. A carton having a plurality of reinforcement layers at the ends thereof comprising four integrally constructed wall panels having fold lines at the adjacent intersecting edges thereof, a liner comprising two pairs of hingedly connected panels proportioned to fit within said carton and of substantially the same dimension as said wall panels to be in substantially covering reinforcing relation therewith, two closure flaps integrally connected with two of said wall panels and said pairs of liner panels, a pair of transverse closure flaps constructed integrally with said two closure flaps and said liner and including fold lines therebetween, and a diagonal fold line on each transverse closure flap to provide for concurrent folding of said two closure flaps and said pair of transverse flaps which are arranged in overlying relation.

5. The carton of claim 4 including additional closure flaps hingedly connected with oppositely facing walls of said carton and proportioned to fold inwardly to cover the said two closure flaps and the said pair of transverse flaps.

6. The carton of claim 4 including a multilayer end closure comprising foldable flaps integrally constructed with the ends of said liner, a stepped flap construction integrally formed with two oppositely facing walls of said carton, a third flap constructed integrally with the adjoining wall of said carton and also integrally with said stepped flaps, a diagonal fold line in said stepped flaps for concurrent folding inwardly said integrally constructed flaps, and a cover flap integrally constructed with the fourth of said walls and bendable and including a locking portion adapted to hold said coveras the outermost layer of said end closure.

7. A carton having an open end and comprising a series of foldably connected full-length outside panels providing the outside walls of said carton, a first set of foldably connected full length reinforcing panels respectively superimposed against the inside surfaces of certain of said outside panels to reinforce the same, a first closure panel folded upon itself to define two sections, one of said sections being foldably connected to one panel of said outside panels at the open end of said carton and the other section thereof being foldably connected to one panel of said first set of panels at the open end of said carton, a second closure panel foldably connected to said other section of said first closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said first set thereof, a second set of foldably connected full length reinforcing panels respectively superimposed against the inside surfaces of the remaining outside panels to reinforce the same, a third closure panel folded upon itself to define two sections, one of said sections of said third closure panel being foldably connected to one of said remaining outside panels at the open end of said carton and the other section thereof being foldably connected to one panel of said second set of reinforcing panels at the open end of said container, and a fourth closure panel foldably connected to said other section of said third closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said second set thereof, said sets of foldably connected reinforcing panels being severed from each other along contiguous edges thereof to facilitate assembly of said carton.

8. A carton blank suitably cut and scored to define a series of foldably connected outside wall panels, a first set of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a firstclosure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections being foldably connected to one of said series of outside wall panels and the other section being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels, a second closure panel foldably directly connected to said other section of said first closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said first set thereof, a second set of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a third closure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections of said third closure panel being foldably connected to another of said outside wall panels and the other section thereof being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels of said second set thereof, and a fourth closure panel foldably directly connected to said other section of said third closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said second set thereof, said blank being foldable at said first and third closure panels to superimpose said reinforcing panels on said series of outside panels, said sets of foldably connected reinforcing panels being severed from each other along contiguous edges thereof to facilitate assembly of said carton.

9. A carton blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein a fifth closure panel is foldably connected to an outside wall panel disposed adjacent to said one outside wall panel and a sixth closure panel is foldably connected to an outside wall panel disposed adjacent to said another outside wall panel.

10. A carton blank suitably cut and scored to define a series of four foldably connected outside wall panels, a first pair of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a first closure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections being foldably connected to one outside wall panel and the other section being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels, a second closure panel foldably directly connected to said other section of said first closure panel and to the other reinforcing panel of said first pair of reinforcing panels, a second pair of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a third closure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections of said third closure panel being foldably connected to another of said outside wall panels and the other section thereof being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels of said second pair thereof, and a fourth closure panel foldably directly connected to said other section of said third closure panel and to the other reinforcing panel of said second pair thereof, said blank being foldable at said first and third closure panels to superimpose said reinforcing panels on said series of outside panels, said pairs of foldably connected reinforcing panels being severed from each other along contiguous edges thereof to facilitate assembly of said carton.

11. A carton blank suitably cut and scored to define a series of foldably connected outside wall panels, a first set of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a first closure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections being foldably connected to one of said series of outside wall panels and the other section being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels, a second closure panel foldably connected to said other section of said first closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said first set thereof, a second set of foldably connected reinforcing panels, a third closure panel foldable into two sections, one of said sections of said third closure panel being foldably connected to another of said outside wall panels and the other section thereof being foldably connected to one of said reinforcing panels of said second set thereof, and a fourth closure panel foldably connected to said other section of said third closure panel and to an adjacent reinforcing panel of said second set thereof, said blank being foldable at said first and third closure panels to superimpose said reinforcing panels on said series of outside panels, said second and fourth closure panels being each foldable into three triangular sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 632,222 Malatesta Aug. 29, 1899 671,759 Craw Apr. 9, 1901 1,184,689 Houghland May 23, 1916 1,965,503 Lowman July 3, 1934 2,034,594 Norris et al Mar. 17, 1936 2,476,181 Crane et al July 12, 1949 2,577,588 Paige Dec, 4, 1951 2,743,863 Glaser May 1, 1956 2,808,977 McCormick Oct. 8, 1957 2,843,308 Paige July 15, 1958 2,909,311 Levitt Oct. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 386,577 Great Britain Jan. 19, 1933 388,971 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1933 

